- Tuesday, 12/15/20 Job 33:12, Behold, in this thou art not just... If one would speak for God, sometimes the message will be as subtle as a sledgehammer: are you brave enough to deliver it and tough enough to handle the response. If one speaks to you like that:
thank them profusely. Luke 1:6, And [Zecharias & Elizabeth] were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. “ALL the commandments”: they did it all, maybe not perfectly, but they tried and did their best. Are there some aspects of the Christian life that “aren’t your thing” so you ignore them? Are you a “specialist” or a “general practitioner”? Soul winning - Bible - prayer - giving -serving - humility - praise - submission - forgiving...lacking any?
- Wednesday, 12/16/20 Job 33:24, Then [God] is gracious unto [man], and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. Thank You Father for wanting us and giving Jesus to be the Ransom!!! Thank You Jesus for being willing to do that!!! Thank You Spirit for introducing me to Him!! PTL!! Psalm 68:8, The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. That God is your God and He hasn’t changed or aged. He’s aware of your situation and isn’t worried...why’re you?
- Thursday, 12/ 17/20 Job 18:3, (Bildad says,) Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight? Maybe if someone doesn’t like you, there’s a more legitimate reason than that they’re “just a jerk.” Search for and be mindful of any validity in another’s criticism. Psalm 69:6, Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel. It’s something that we don’t think about as much as we should, but our actions DO affect others. It’s probably too unreasonable to encourage us to think of others as we’re indulging in sin (since we’re very self-absorbed at that point), but afterwards: yes. How are you dealing with your aftermath? the aftermath of your sin? your divorce? your hiatus from church? your being demoted from a leadership position? Don’t make God get a black eye twice: He got one from our wrong actions; don’t give Him another one from our wrong reactions.
- Friday, 12/18/20 Luke 9:9, And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him. Remember that even the worst of sinners knows they’re going to die and, at some level, want to know about God’s truth. He’s drawing all men. Be bold in witnessing. Luke 8:35, Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. His cure was due to meeting the Saviour. The consequence of being cured was to continue to be with Christ and changing his exterior. Too often, modern Christianity downgrades the second (we live as we want, do less for God, attend church less frequently, degrade our exterior standards, ditch the King James Bible, minimize the role of Pastor and the NT church, etc.) And, sadly, the effect is fewer people finding salvation, and a nation goes to Hell...and we have no personal lives of victory. Do it God’s way...it’s the right way.
- Saturday, 12/19/20 Luke 18:8, I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? I think the context clearly teaches that God wonders if He’ll find His people with a faith that just keeps on asking continually. Quit quitting on prayer!!! Luke 9:12, And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place. How oft is our perceived solution at odds with what God wants to do? He wants to accomplish HIS will through us...we just have to get on the same page with Him. He's not perplexed; He has an answer in mind. What’s the spiritual solution to your problem? What would the best Christian you know say/do about your dilemma? How would you expect Pastor to act in your shoes? There’s your answer...
- Monday, 12/21/20 Psalm 73:1, Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. Is this verse true? So...today, let's be totally consumed with A) noticing His goodness to us, and B) acknowledging it to Him and others. Psalm 73:5, [The wicked & foolish] are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. A reminder that when we look at others, we only see their outside while we see both our own inside and outside. We don’t know if another is in turmoil internally...though they be at odds with God, it’s very easy to think that “everything’s all right” for them. No, God still says that there’s no peace to the wicked. Keep on doing right and standing true.
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